1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to containers for sports gear, paraphernalia and other items carried by sportsmen and outdoor enthusiasts. In particular, the present invention relates to a collapsible, foldable bag that is capable of removable attachment to a hunting tree stand, boat, hunting blind, vehicle, or lawn furniture for storing gear, equipment and supplies used by sportsmen and outdoor enthusiasts.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Hunting tree stands are well known in the art and have met with widespread acceptance by hunters. The stand is mounted in a tree at an elevation above the ground to enable a hunter to be seated while awaiting the prey to appear below. Tree stands may be permanently mounted in a tree or may be portable for temporary mounting and removal after each use. Typically, a portable tree stand comprises frame members that provide a platform for a seat and frame members that connect the platform to the tree. Ordinarily, these frame members are collapsible to allow the hunter""s tree stand to be folded into a compact configuration for transportation.
Even though portable hunting tree stands have met with widespread acceptance among hunters, such portable stands have an inherent disadvantage in that such stands do not provide the hunter with a convenient and practical means for storing sporting gear such as ammunition, paraphernalia such as binoculars, supplies such as food, and such other desirable items as are usually carried by hunters when anticipating spending several hours in a tree stand.
A preliminary patentability search produced the following patents, which may be relevant to the present invention: Hughes et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,508, issued Jun. 23, 1981; Bass, U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,500, issued Nov. 24, 1992; and Lindamann, U.S. Pat. No. 6,205,935, issued Mar. 27, 2001. However, none of the known prior patents teach the use of a sportsman""s gear bag having the features, construction and utility of the present invention. None of the known prior references, either singly or in combination, disclose or suggest the present invention.
It is therefore desirable to provide a sportsman""s gear bag that is capable of removable attachment to a hunter""s tree stand for providing a convenient and practical container for storing sporting equipment such as ammunition and other equipment such a binoculars and supplies such as food that hunter""s need or find desirable when in a hunting tree stand.
A hunter""s gear bag provides a collapsible, foldable container capable of removable attachment to hunting tree stands for the convenient storage of hunting gear, food and other equipment and items useful to hunters in a tree stand awaiting prey. The container comprises a bag constructed of panels of fabric sewn together to form a pocket having a top opening for the insertion and removal of items. The bag is attached at its top opening to a frame that has pivoting members which rotate between a collapsed position when the bag is closed to a expanded position when the bag is open. One of the frame members is capable of releasable attachment to the hunter""s stand. The gear bag is foldable to form an unobtrusive attachment to the hunter""s stand while the stand is transported or during deployment in or removal from a tree.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a container for storing equipment and other items carried by sportsmen and outdoor enthusiasts.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a sportsman""s gear bag that may be removably attached to a hunting tree stand, boat, hunting blind, vehicle, or lawn furniture.
It is an another object of the present invention to provide a sportsman""s gear bag that may be easily and quietly opened and closed by pivoting a frame that supports the bag.
It is an another object of the present invention to provide a sportsman""s gear bag that is collapsible and foldable, whereby the bag may be left attached to a hunter""s tree stand during transportation of the stand.